Try this beautiful classic Greek dessert made with walnuts, phyllo and kadayifi pastry! It’s absolutely fabulous!!!
Serves: 30 pieces Preparation time: 10′ Cooks in: 1h & 30′ Ready in: 1h & 40′
Ingredients
For the baklava:
500gr kadayifi pastry (angel hair)
300gr phyllo sheets
350gr walnuts, crushed
150gr sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs, finely chopped
1 cup butter, melted
For the syrup:
1 1/2 kgr sugar
4 cups water
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method
Step 1
Open the kadayifi pastry and fluff it up. Cover with dump cloth to prevent it from drying.
Step 2
In a bowl combine walnuts with sugar, cinnamon and breadcrumbs.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 180C/fan. Brush a baking dish (25x40cm). Lay the bottom with half phyllo sheets, brushing them with butter as you go. Spread on top half kadayifi pastry and drizzle with some melted butter. Sprinkle with walnut mixture evenly and cover with the rest of the kadayifi pastry. Drizzle with some melted butter and lay the rest of the phyllo sheets, brushing them with butter as you go.
Step 4
Using a sharp knife cut the baklava into even squares or diamond shapes. If you’re using a round pan, you can cut it into large, narrow slivers, if you wish. Drizzle with the rest of the melted butter. Bake for 1 hour or until the layers puff up high and the top layers are golden, crispy and translucent.
Step 5
Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and let simmer slowly uncovered for 6-7 minutes. Let cool.
Step 6
While baklava is still piping hot, pour cold syrup evenly over the baklava. Let it bubble up then settle. Leave baklava to cool down to room temperature before serving.
Photo: Vangelis Paterakis – Food styling: Antonia Kati
